Carpet tool

ABSTRACT

A multipurpose tool for laying carpet material on stairs and under overhanging cabinetry or other fixtures. The tool includes a drive bar which has a carpet-tucking blade connected at one end and a nail-driving head at the opposite end. The blade includes an off-set or stepped end portion having a blunt end surface which is used for folding a carpet tightly, into a groove between tacking strips in the corner between a step and a mating riser. The nail-driving head is employed for driving nails through tacking strips or other components to attach the strips or components to the floor in areas under overhangs which cannot be reached with a hammer.

United States Patent Cuscovitch, Sr.

1 1 Aug. 22, 1972 96,700 11/1869 Howard 145/21 Primary ExaminerRobert C. Riordon Assistant ExaminerRoscoe V. Parker, Jr.

Attorney-Fishman and Van Kirk l 5 7 1 ABSTRACT A multipurpose tool for laying carpet material on stairs and under overhanging cabinetry or other fixtures. The tool includes a drive bar which has a carpet-tucking blade connected at one end and a naildriving head at the opposite end. The blade includes an off-set or stopped end portion having a blunt end surface which is used for folding a carpet tightly, into a groove between tacking strips in the corner between a step and a mating riser. The nail-driving head is employed for driving nails through tacking strips or other components to attach the strips or components to the floor in areas under overhangs which cannot be reached with a hammer.

9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures [54] CARPET TOOL [72] Inventor: John F. Cuscovitch, Sr., 42 Woodbridge Avenue, East Hartford, Conn. 06108 [22] Filed: July 13, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 54,549

[52] US. Cl ..7/17, 145/46 [51] Int. Cl ..B25f l/00, B25c 1/00 [58] Field of Search ..7/17, 1 R; 145/46, 21; 294/86; 254/57, 103; 29/275; 227/147, 12, 13; 173/46, 90, 126

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 695,672 3/1902 Diaz ..145/21 1,258,481 3/1918 Shobar ..145/24 3,166,757 l/1965 Downs, Jr ..145/46 3,322,209 5/1967 Cavanaugh ..254/57 X M M 2/ R,

1 ""1 \i 'I M PATENT I97? 3.685.064

INVENTOR JOHN F. CUSCOVITCH SR;

ATTORNEYS CARPET TOOL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to multipurpose tools and is more particularly directed to a special purpose tool for laying carpet material.

2. Description of the Prior Art In laying carpet material on stairs, it is necessary to conform the relatively stiff, new carpet material as precisely as possible to the stepped contour of the stairs so that the carpet fits tightly and is not pulled from its fastenings during use. For example, if the carpet is not folded or tucked tightly into a groove formed in the corner between tacking strips attached to a step and the riser extending upwardly from the back end of the step, a short, loosely secured bridging segment of the carpet between step and riser is created. Continuous usage of the steps tends to pull the carpet away from the corner and may tear the carpet away from the tacking strips securing the carpet tightly to the stairs. Besides the unsightly appearance of the carpet in the loosened condition, a critical safety hazard is created since the carpets may tend to slip on the steps as a person climbs or descends the stairs.

In other situations, it is desirable to drive nails in difficult-to-reach locations such as adjacent a toe kick underneath overhanging cabinetry or other fixtures. It is necessary that no nailheads be projecting upwardly from the floor in such locations prior to laying a carpet. It is also necessary in certain instances to lay tacking strips under overhanging cabinetry and the use of a hammer to secure a tacking strip to the floor may be precluded if the overhanging structure is only slightly above the floor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION tucking or folding carpet tightly into the groove formed between tacking strips at the intersection of a step and a riser when carpet is layed on a stairs. The end portion of the blade is covered with a plastic coating to protect the carpet material as the opposite end of the drive bar is struck to drive the carpet material tightly against the stairs. AT the end of the drive bar opposite the blade is a nail-driving head having a flat nailing surface. The head can be rested on a nail under an overhang and the nail can be driven without difficulty by hammering on the drive bar at a central position. A flat lateral surface on the drive bar is provided as a hammering surface.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to disclose a tool for tucking a carpet tightly into a groove between tacking strips attached to stairs near the corner between a step and a riser.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose a tool for tucking a carpet tightly into a groove between tacking strips attached to stairs near the corner between a step and a riser. 4

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose a multipurpose tool for laying carpets under overhanging structures and other areas which are difficult to reach with a hammer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The novel, multipurpose carpet tool with its numerous objects and advantages will be better understood by reference to the following drawings in which the same elements bear the same reference numerals throughout the several figures.

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the carpet tool of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the elongated carpet tool in use as a nail-driving tool.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the carpet tool.

FIG. 4 is an end elevation view of the carpet tool as seen from the left in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an end elevation view of the carpet tool as seen from the right in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The novel carpet tool is seen in a top plan view in FIG. 1. The tool, generally designated 10, is composed of an elongated bar 12 to which a blade 14 is connected at one end and a nail-driving head 16 is connected at the opposite end. The bar 12 has an elongated configuration with a generally rectangular cross section; however, the bar can have other cross-sectional configurations such as a hexagonal or circular shape.

At one end of the bar 12, the blade 14 is attached as an integral element of the tool 10. The integral form of the tool 10 results when the tool is made by casting or a drop forging process. The blade has a generally square, planar configuration with a web-like attachment to the bar 12 along one side of the square. The blade 14 is connected to the bar 12 at the midpoint of the one side so that the square shape is evenly disposed on two opposite sides of the bar 12. The web-like connecting region between the blade 14 and the bar 12 forms a smooth transition between the bar and the blade. The smooth transition reduces stress concentrations in the tool when the tool 10 is used either as a stairs tool for folding and tucking carpet material on a stairs or as a nail-driving tool, both functions being described in greater detail below.

The blade 14 as seen in FIG. 2 has a laterally off-set end portion or heel 18 at its outer extremity. The end portion 18 has a blunt end surface 20 which may be used to tuck carpet material tightly into the groove such as that formed between two carpet tacking strips attached to a stairs at each intersection of a step and the riser extending upwardly from the rear of the step. As discussed above, it is necessary to contour relatively stiff, new carpeting as it is installed on stairs so that the carpet fits tightly against the stairs and does not slip or pull away from the tacking strips during use. In installing such carpet material, the blunt end surface 20 of the blade 14 is driven against the carpet and tucks the carpet into the groove between the tacking strips at the comer of each step as the bar 12 is driven with a hammer from the end surface 22. The driving action through the bar 12 and the blade 14 tucks the carpet material into a shape conforming to the stairs and thereby allows a more secure fastening of the carpetmaterial to the tacking strips on the steps.

Even though the end surface 20 of the blade 14 is blunt, the end portion 18 and the adjacent region of the blade 14 are coated with a plastic material to reduce the coefficient of friction between the tool and the carpet. The coating 26 may be a material such as polytetrafluoroethylene which has excellent lubricity characteristics to allow the tool to slide over the carpet pile without undue injury to the fabric. The plastic coating 26 may extend from the end to the line 24. As seen more clearly in the sectioned portion of FIG. 1, the coating 26 appears as a thin layer enveloping the blade 14. If the blade is formed of an unpolished metal material such as steel, the need for the smooth plastic coating is more accentuated. While the coating 26 shown completely covers the blade 14, it is equally clear that only the end portion 18 is the most critical area to be covered to protect the carpet material.

FIG. 2 shows the carpet tool employed for driving nails in areas which are difficult to reach with a hammer. For example, the nail N is located in the floor directly below the overhanging cabinets C. Without the novel carpet tool, the nail head could only be driven flush with the floor with a great deal of difficulty since the overhanging cabinets prevent direct access to the nail with a hammer.

The end of the drive bar 12 opposite the blade 14 has the nail-driving head 16 integrally formed on the bar and includes a raised boss at the bottom side of the bar 12. The integral form may be obtained by a casting or forging process. The raised boss of the head 16 has a flat nailing face which is generally coplanar with the heel surface 28 of the off-set portion 18 at the end of blade 14.

As shown in FIG. 2, the off-set end portion 18 serves as a stand for the one end of tool 10 when the head 16 is used to drive nails. With the nailing face 30 positioned on the nail head under the overhanging cabinet C and the heel surface 28 resting on the floor, the nail N can be driven into the floor by striking the tool 10 on the flat bar surface 32 on the side of the bar 12 opposite the face 30. By striking the bar 12 at a position axially displaced from the head 16, a nail hidden under the overhang can be reached. The head 16 permits not only the driving of loose nails already in the floor prior to laying a carpet but also allows the nailing of tacking strips or toe kick plates to an existing floor without exposing the securing nails beyond the edge of the overhang.

While the novel carpet tool 10 has been described in a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, while the flat surface 32 extends along the entire lateral side of bar 12, it is equally feasible that the bar 12 could have a circular cross section and a flat could be machined on the side of bar 12 opposite face 30 at a position axially displaced along bar 12 from the head 16. it is possible for the nailing face 30 of the head 16 to lie in a plane which is not precisely coplanar with the heel surface 28 on blade 14. It is also feasible for the bar 12, the blade 14 and the head 16 to be formed from individually assembled components rather than the integral embodiment disclosed. It will therefore be understood that the novel, multipurpose carpet tool has been described in its preferred form by way of illustration rather than limitation.

W i tool for laying carpet material comprising:

an elongated bar portion having first and second op positely disposed ends;

a blade having a generally planar form connected to the second end of the elongated bar portion and including an end portion laterally off-set from the bar portion, said laterally off-set end portion of said blade having a flat heel surface; and

a nail-driving head connected to the elongated bar portion at the first end thereof, said nail-driving head having a nailing face on the same lateral side of the bar portion as the laterally offset end portion of the blade, said nailing face being generally coplanar with said blade heel surface.

2. The multipurpose tool of claim 1 wherein:

the bar portion has a flat surface on the lateral side of the bar portion opposite the nailing face.

3. The multipurpose tool of claim 2 wherein:

the flat surface extends axially along substantially the entire length of the elongated bar portion.

4. The multipurpose tool of claim 2 wherein:

the nail-driving head on the first end of the bar portion includes a raised boss on said same lateral side of the bar portion; and

the nailing face is a flat surface on the end of the raised boss.

5. The multipurpose tool of claim 1 wherein:

the end surface of the laterally off-set end portion of the blade is a blunt end surface.

6. The multipurpose tool of claim 5 wherein:

the first end of the elongated bar portion includes a flat end surface transverse to the bar portion.

7. The multipurpose tool of claim 5 wherein:

the blade has a square shape and a web-like attachment to the bar portion at one side of the square.

8. A multipurpose tool for laying carpet material comprising: I

an elongated bar portion having first and second oppositely disposed ends;

a nail-driving head connected to the elongated bar portion at the first end thereof; and

a blade having a generally planar form connected to the second end of the elongated bar portion, said blade including an end portion laterally off-set from the bar portion, said laterally off-set blade end portion being covered with a plastic coating and being provided with a blunt end surface.

9. The multipurpose tool of claim 5 wherein:

the laterally off-set end portion of the blade is covered with a plastic coating. 

1. A multipurpose tool for laying carpet material comprising: an elongated bar portion having first and second oppositely disposed ends; a blade having a generally planar form connected to the second end of the elongated bar portion and including an end portion laterally offset from the bar portion, said laterally off-set end portion of said blade having a flat heel surface; and a nail-driving head connected to the elongated bar portion at the first end thereof, said nail-driving head having a nailing face on the same lateral side of the bar portion as the laterally off-set end portion of the blade, said nailing face being generally coplanar with said blade heel surface.
 2. The multipurpose tool of claim 1 wherein: the bar portion has a flat surface on the lateral side of the bar portion opposite the nailing face.
 3. The multipurpose tool of claim 2 wherein: the flat surface extenDs axially along substantially the entire length of the elongated bar portion.
 4. The multipurpose tool of claim 2 wherein: the nail-driving head on the first end of the bar portion includes a raised boss on said same lateral side of the bar portion; and the nailing face is a flat surface on the end of the raised boss.
 5. The multipurpose tool of claim 1 wherein: the end surface of the laterally off-set end portion of the blade is a blunt end surface.
 6. The multipurpose tool of claim 5 wherein: the first end of the elongated bar portion includes a flat end surface transverse to the bar portion.
 7. The multipurpose tool of claim 5 wherein: the blade has a square shape and a web-like attachment to the bar portion at one side of the square.
 8. A multipurpose tool for laying carpet material comprising: an elongated bar portion having first and second oppositely disposed ends; a nail-driving head connected to the elongated bar portion at the first end thereof; and a blade having a generally planar form connected to the second end of the elongated bar portion, said blade including an end portion laterally offset from the bar portion, said laterally off-set blade end portion being covered with a plastic coating and being provided with a blunt end surface.
 9. The multipurpose tool of claim 5 wherein: the laterally off-set end portion of the blade is covered with a plastic coating. 